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Billboard reports that Chris Brown’s comeback album, F.A.M.E., will likely debut at Number One on next week’s chart (week ending April 2). The set is expected to sell between 250,000 and 300,000 copies its first week of release. Brown has never topped the Billboard 200. His 2005 self-titled album peaked at Number 2, 2007’s Exclusive reached Number 4 and his 2009 collection, Graffiti, stopped its climb at Number 7. The 21-year-old R&B singer gave himself a lot of media attention after appearing on ABC-TV’s Good Morning America on March 23. Angered by co-host Robin Roberts’ questions about his 2009 attack on former girlfriend Rihanna, he left the stage following a musical performance and threw a tantrum in his dressing room. ABC News reported that he also smashed a window in the room. Later that day, Brown appeared on BET’s 106 & Park show and apologized for his behavior. He said he expected the interview to stay on the subject of his music and new album.

Auditions for the U.S. premiere of Simon Cowell’s upcoming reality show X Factor will begin on March 27 in Los Angeles. Additional auditions are scheduled on April 7 in Miami, Florida; April 14 in Newark, New Jersey; April 20 in Seattle, Washington; April 27 in Chicago, Illinois; and, May 26 in Dallas, Texas. Unlike American Idol, there is no maximum age for contestants. The minimum age is 12. X Factor will launch later this year on FOX-TV. The winner receives a $5 million recording contract with Sony Music.

AOL Music Holds Britney Spears Album Listening Party

Britney Spears' "Femme Fatale" CD

On March 29, Jive Records will release Britney Spears’ new album, Femme Fatale. In advance of its release, AOL Music has been hosting a listening party. Free streams of all 10 songs can be heard through April 5. The album’s debut single, “Hold It Against Me” topped charts in seven countries, including the U.S. The second single, “Till the World Ends,” peaked at Number 9 on the Hot 100 (week ending March 26) and falls to Number 23 this week.

British pop singer Adele returns to the Number One position on this week’s Billboard 200. This is her third non-consecutive week in the top spot. Debuting in this week’s Top 10 are Endgame by Rise Against at Number 2 and Give the Drummer Some by Blink-182’s drummer Travis Barker at Number 9.

New Album Releases March 29:

“The King of Limbs” by Radiohead

“Doggumentary” by Snoop Dogg

“Screaming Bloody Murder” by Sum 41

“Rolling Papers” by Wiz Khalifa

“Something Big” by Mary Mary

“Contact” by Boney James

“Between Two Lungs” by Florence + The Machine

“Layla and Other Love Songs” by Derek & The Dominos

Musical Events/Festivals/Benefits:

On March 29, Country stars Charlie Daniels, Wynonna Judd, Montgomery Gentry and The Grascals will perform at the “Operation Yellow Ribbon” fundraiser. The annual Nashville event benefits Lipscomb University’s Yellow Ribbon Program, which offers eligible post-9/11 GI Bill veterans and their family members an undergraduate degree tuition-free or at a reduced rate. This year’s keynote speaker is General Tommy Franks (Ret.).

Awards Presentations/Winners:

On March 27, the 40th annual Juno Awards will be handed out in Toronto, Ontario. The Juno Awards are Canada’s equivalent of the Grammys. Drake leads the contenders with six nominations, including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for “Thank Me Later.” Justin Bieber follows with four nominations. The complete list of nominees is available at www.Juno.ca. Two special awards will be presented during the ceremony. Neil Young will be honored with the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award in recognition of his philanthropic work. Deane Cameron, President of EMI Music Canada is the recipient of the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award. The award recognizes an outstanding individual who has contributed to the growth and advancement of the Canadian music industry. In addition, Shania Twain will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. This will mark the first time since 2003 that the 12-time Juno winner has attended the awards show.

Look Who's Going On Tour!

On March 31, 23-year-old pop/hip-hop singer Mike Posner will begin a U.S. tour in Brooklyn, New York. He’ll be supporting his debut album, 31 Minutes To Takeoff. The set includes the hits “Cooler Than Me,” “Please Don’t Go” and his latest single “Bow Chicka Wow Wow,” which features rapper Lil’ Wayne.

Rap newcomer Wiz Khalifa launches his 17-city “Green Carpet Tour” on April 1. His new album, Black and Yellow, will be released three days earlier. In other news, Wiz Khalifa has signed on to appear in Snoop Dogg’s upcoming film, High School. Filming begins in May. Wiz also collaborated with Snoop on a song called “This Weed Is Mine,” which appears on Snoop Dogg’s new album, Doggumentary.

Manned deep space missions are still a long way off, but space agencies are already testing procedures, equipment and human stamina for operations in extreme environment conditions. Small groups of astronauts take turns in spending days in an underwater lab, off Florida’s southern coast, simulating future missions to some remote world. VOA’s George Putic reports.

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Manned deep space missions are still a long way off, but space agencies are already testing procedures, equipment and human stamina for operations in extreme environment conditions. Small groups of astronauts take turns in spending days in an underwater lab, off Florida’s southern coast, simulating future missions to some remote world. VOA’s George Putic reports.

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Fifty years ago, lawmakers approved, and U.S. President Lyndon Johnson signed, the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The measure outlawed racial discrimination in voting, giving millions of blacks in many parts of the southern United States federal enforcement of the right to vote. Correspondent Chris Simkins introduces us to some civil rights leaders who were on the front lines in the struggle for voting rights.

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Billions of dollars of so-called ‘dirty money’ from the proceeds of crime - especially from Russia - are being laundered through the London property market, according to anti-corruption activists. As Henry Ridgwell reports from the British capital, the government has pledged to crack down on the practice.

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Ottawa, Illinois, is the hometown of W.D. Boyce, who founded the Boy Scouts of America in 1910. In Ottawa, where Scouting remains an important part of the legacy of the community, the end of the organization's ban on openly gay adult leaders was seen as inevitable. VOA's Kane Farabaugh reports.

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Artificial limbs, including the most complex of them – the human hand – are getting more life-like and useful due to constant advances in tiny hydraulic, pneumatic and electric motors called actuators. But now, as VOA’s George Putic reports, scientists in Germany say the future of the prosthetic hand may lie not in motors but in wires that can ‘remember’ their shape.

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A British pro-democracy group has accused Russia of abusing the global law enforcement agency Interpol by requesting the arrest and extradition of political opponents. A new report by the group notes such requests can mean the accused are unable to travel and are often unable to open bank accounts. VOA's Henry Ridgwell reports.

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Talks on a major new trade agreement among 12 Pacific Rim nations are said to be nearing completion in Hawaii. Some trade experts say the "positive atmosphere" at the discussions could mean a deal is within reach, but there is still hard bargaining to be done over many issues and products, including U.S. drugs and Japanese rice. VOA's Jim Randle reports.

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Earth is in the midst of its sixth mass extinction. The last such event was caused by an asteroid 66 million years ago. It killed off the dinosaurs and practically everything else. So scientists are in a race against time to classify the estimated 11 million species alive today. So far only 2 million are described by science, and researchers are worried many will disappear before they even have a name. VOA’s Rosanne Skirble reports.

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Scientists have long been trying to develop an effective protection and cure for malaria - one of the deadliest diseases that affects people in tropical areas, especially children. As the World Health Organization announces plans to begin clinical trials of a promising new vaccine, scientists in South Africa report that they too are at an important threshold. George Putic reports, they are testing a compound that could be a single-dose cure for malaria.

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The latest issue of 'New York' magazine features 35 women who say they were drugged and raped by film and television celebrity Bill Cosby. The women are aged from 44 to 80 and come from different walks of life and races. The magazine interviewed each of them separately, but Zlatica Hoke reports their stories are similar.

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The United States is promising not to give up its fight against what Secretary of State John Kerry calls the “scourge” of modern slavery. Officials released the country’s annual human trafficking report Monday – a report that’s being met with some criticism. VOA’s National Security correspondent Jeff Seldin has more from the State Department.

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Abandoned more than 50 years ago, the underground streetcar station in Washington D.C.’s historic DuPont Circle district is about to be reborn. The plan calls for turning the spacious underground platforms - once meant to be a transportation hub, - into a unique space for art exhibitions, presentations, concerts and even a film set. Roman Mamonov has more from beneath the streets of the U.S. capital. Joy Wagner narrates his report.

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Greece has replaced Italy as the main gateway for migrants into Europe, with more than 100,000 arrivals in the first six months of 2015. Many want to move further into Europe and escape Greece’s economic crisis, but they face widespread dangers on the journey overland through the Balkans. VOA's Henry Ridgwell reports.

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After the closure of a major rubbish dump a week ago, the streets of Beirut are filling up with trash. Having failed to draw up a plan B, politicians are struggling to deal with the problem. John Owens has more for VOA from Beirut.

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A U.N. climate conference in December aims to produce an ambitious agreement to fight heat-trapping greenhouse gases. But many local governments are not waiting, and have drafted their own climate action plans. That’s the case with Paris — which is getting special attention, since it’s hosting the climate summit. Lisa Bryant takes a look for VOA at the transformation of the French capital into an eco-city.